Former mayor jailed for defrauding friend of approximately £66,000

Stephanie Bateman

Jawaid Mohammed Ishaq, who was awarded an MBE in 2000, and is a former Mayor of Scunthorpe, former vice chairman of Humberside Police Authority, chairman of the South Humber Racial Equality Council and vice chairman of the North Lincolnshire Multi-faith Partnership has today been sentenced to three years six months in prison after being found guilty of forging a Power of Attorney document in order to gain control of shares and a bank account owned by a friend. The money fraudulently obtained is estimated at approximately £66,000.

Jawaid Ishaq was convicted of five fraud-related offences, three charges of theft, and one charge of perverting the course of justice.

Peter Mann, Head of Complex Casework Unit, CPS Yorkshire and Humberside said: “This was a flagrant breach of trust and authority by an individual who was very well known locally and had a substantial standing within the community. His friend trusted him to take care of his financial affairs while he was out of the country. Jawaid Ishaq grossly abused that trust. Rather than acting in his friend’s best financial interests, and motivated we can only assume by greed, Ishaq ruthlessly and systematically defrauded him of approximately £66,000.

“We have applied for a Proceeds of Crime order to recover the funds. The sentence handed down today sends out a clear message that no-one is above the law and this type of offending will be prosecuted with the utmost rigour.”

Ishaq was cleared of five charges on the direction of the judge and was also acquitted of one count of theft.